Hello.  My name is Serena Thomas.  I am a life long bead fanatic, but started making my own glass beads in December of 2001. 

I spent the first seventeen years of my life in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  From there I ventured off to North Carolina to attend a tiny little college nestled in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Swannanoa, North Carolina.  While hanging out in the Valley, I met my future husband.  Three weeks after our first child was born, we decided the grandparents would greatly appreciate being closer to their first grandchild.  So, we packed up everything we owned in a red Pinto station wagon we had just bought and headed back to Milwaukee.  The country bumpkin (my husband) hated the city!  Nine months later, we were on our way to the countryside, right smack between Madison and Stevens Point.  Years later, the strong desire to own our own property led us to the Ozarks of Missouri, which is where we currently reside.

One summer, while my parents were visiting, I showed my father the latest copy of Beads & Button.  In particular, my awe at some of the gorgeous glass lampwork beads in the ads throughout the magazine.  Both my parents at the time, were very much into stained glass.   They were making stepping stones and light catchers. A couple of months later, he bought himself a hot head kit and began to make his own beads.  Soon he was selling his beads on eBay.  One day, he completely surprised me with my very own hot head kit.  Years later, I still can't quite believe that I make my own glass beads.  (Thank you, Dad!!) 

Today, I have 3 kids (ages 2, 11, and 12) and an extremely supportive and helpful husband.  I, Serena, am head bead maker, but I get plenty of help from everybody whenever possible.  My daughter is home schooled and helps with the youngest one.  She also likes to help pick out the mini-sets and make beads too when she gets the chance.  (A bead freak in training!)  My son seems to have a wonderful knack for naming bead sets.  Most nights, while listing auctions, he just looks at them, and instantly comes up with the most appropriate name!  I love it.  My husband, Mike, gets stuck with bead cleaning duty most often, but since he lives with chronic pain due to ulcerative colitis and fybromyalgia, we just never know what he is capable of accomplishing.  Some days he is my backbone and helps keep me on track, while other days he can hardly pull himself out of bed.  So, while it might be called Serena's Beadery, most days everybody has their bead duties!  :)

Here is a link to an article that was published on my in the local paper, Ozark County Times, in December of 2004.

There is definitely an instant gratification while lampworking.  I enjoy playing with all the variety and infinite amount of color combinations possible in the glass world.  Color is fun!  I used to knit before I had children.  I still remember being thrilled and exhilarated by the color and textures of all the skeins in a yarn shop.  While many may not think of beads as having texture, I constantly find myself fondling them.  I love the way a bead feels with lots of little bumps, or how empowering it can be holding one that is well shaped.  And I know I'm not the only one out there.   Come on, it's confession time....